© Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
How Zach LaVine helped Jamal Murray recover from His ACL Injury
Despite the intense competition seen between teams and players day in and out on the court, there's still a sense of camaraderie that exists between many of them. The NBA is a brotherhood, a fraternity, and that was on full display when Jamal Murray went down with a season-ending ACL injury in April 2021.
LaVine offered sound advice
One of the people to reach out to Murray and offer his support was Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls. The two have been friends for years, especially during their time together as ambassadors of Adidas. One of the first things that LaVine told Murray was that "he was going to be fine." LaVine also shared valuable tips about the grueling road to recovery, saying it's important to maintain his weight.
"I remember the process, asking him, like, how much he's lifting because all I know is that you eat and you lift. That's all you do. So obviously maintain your weight, obviously telling him, 'I know you're doing nothing but form shots' and getting his left and right hand right. If he feels something funny, I went through the same process, so just let me know if you need anything. Not from a competitive standpoint but from a friendship."
LaVine knows what he's talking about. After all, he went through the same process in 2017 when he tore his left ACL while playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. LaVine says the most crucial piece of advice he shared was being patient with the ups and downs of the recovery process.
"The little aches and pains, ups and downs you might go through. People are gonna expect you to come back and be 100 percent right away and it's just not gonna happen. You have to be OK with that," LaVine said
Murray's back
Now back with the Nuggets after missing all last season to recover and rehab, Murray showed how much pep he now has in his step. Ironically, the stellar performance came against LaVine and the Bulls. Murray helped lead the Nuggets to the dominant 126-103 win with 23 points on 9-for-18 shooting. He also added two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
